Aspen

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Alpha!Miyuki who grows up learning not to depend on his secondary gender; mainly because it had coaches pity his stature/height, other teammates mock his lack of assertiveness and physical strength and teachers look the other way because 'that's just how alpha's are' during middle school. Growing to hate being seen as an alpha before a catcher and learning overtime to mask his presence. His scent, his instincts and that voice in the back of his mind. Taking medication to drive back or negate his heats completely.

Seidou is a better place but at that point he has these limits driven into his being and can't get himself to be comfortable enough around his new team. People think he's a beta or recessive alpha at best, and Miyuki planned to keep it that way.

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Omega!Kuramochi grows up learning not to take any shit from nobody. Mainly from his mother who's subject to criticism for being a divorced, single omega mother herself. He learns early in life that conforming to stereotypes does nothing but hinder him and instead fights against it every chance he gets. Takes wrestling/self defense classes and doesn't hestiate to use it on anyone, alphas, betas or other omegas. If they try to pick on him, he beats them up. The adults around him had complained about his attitude ('no alpha would want such a rowdy omega!') But he doesn't let their comments get to him, because to Kuramochi, anyone who couldn't handle his personality to begin with wasn't worth the effort anyway. He's strong willed, doesn't care much about the preception others have of him as long as his friends are safe and doesn't shy away from his nature.

Seidou mellows him out a little, less fighting and more improving his fielding. Trying his best to not lag behind Ryosuke and meet the expectations the team has for him.

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Miyuki bugs the hell out of Kuramochi. Mainly because he's an asshole who plays well to back up his jabs and Kuramochi doesn't have much to throw back without wrestling him to the ground. But also because he's an alpha, and seems to desperately try not to be. Kuramochi frankly doesn't get it. He can understand not throwing your scent all over the damn place. Not growling at the first instance of trouble. What he can't get is how subdued Miyuki tends to be at the first sign of trouble/tension. Instead of putting his foot down or using those instincts of his to be heard, Miyuki just stares in frustration, ungloved hand in a whitening fist until their senior decides he's had enough of the first year catcher and leaves. In a dorm full of teen boys, he smells like nothing. Safe for their bath soap and body spray. God it's downright freaky when he appears behind Kuramochi out of nowhere, no scent to warn him of the others presence until a too cold hand is jabbed into his nape and Kuramochi sees red.

But Kuramochi can't say anything. Because their not close and the longest conversation they'd held was more shit talking than anything else. If Miyuki wanted to live like that, who was he to interfere? Kuramochi had bigger things to worry about.

That is until they loose a match, just a few points shy from winning. Everyone else throws the blame on not having practiced enough. Not seizing any weaknesses they'd seen and earning back the points lost. Kuramochi know's better though. Knows they'd been doomed when their second year pitcher brushed off Miyuki at every timeout and was clearly not listening to his calls.

He doesn't say anything about. Not until they make it back and wash away the dirt and grime from a match lost. Not until they'd already eaten, which at that point he grabs Miyuki by the collar and drags him to the vending machines to give the stupid catcher a piece or his mind.

Except, something goes wrong. Kuramochi isn't sure when. Maybe somewhere between when Kuramochi calls him worthless for an alpha and Miyuki starts looking seconds away from ripping him a new one. But within seconds, he finds himself thrown against one of the machines, wrists held so tight it borders on painful and the scent of coffee ground and spice clouding all his senses. And in the midst if all this Miyuki looms close to him, eyes alight, jaw set and tenseness lining his form. It's the first time–Kuramochi realizes–he's been able to scent Miyuki, and it's overwhelming. Strong and potent as it surrounds him and demands attention.

"Should've done this in the first place dumbass–" is all he manages out before they crumble into one another, replacing glares and snipes with heated kisses and desperate touches. Miyuki takes like a man starved, holding Kuramochi tight to the point of bruising and giving him mere seconds to breathe before diving back for more. Kuramochi does his best to meet his pace, but its hard not to let Miyuki do as he wishes; mostly because it feels like a tidal wave. Held back for years and years before he decided to kick that dam down and face it. The sounds they make sound obscene to his ears, and if Kuramochi was any saner at the moment he'd feel embarrassed. Instead he plumets, his inner omega all too happy to hand out to what his teammates asks for.

The match that caused the yips was impactful yes, but it's a match that that they lost because of multiple circumstances. Tanba needing to be switched out, Miyuki not accounting the fact that Sawamura may just not be able to handle the pressure, and Kawakami being unable to bring it back due to his own set backs. And after, once they figure out he has the yips, Sawamura himself doesn't let that stop him! Kataoka literally has a scene that mentions how Sawamura is looking ahead and not letting the yips hold him back (paraphrased). Its because he had the yips that Chris got around to teaching him another way to keep playing.

I feel like a lot of this is very obvious? The arc itself works as a spring for Sawamura to start building his repertoire and personally I feel like its one of the best examples about how dedicated he is to keep playing and improving. Its a bit hard to read yeah but I've just seen a lot of older posts talking about how people are straight up unable to watch/read the yips arc and feel like Im missing something?